The Return of Monochromy

Just as I was gloating over a return to a varied color palette, I was greeted again by this vision. It was expected, so not too shocking, but dang, I want to see more green settle in.

We've had a crowd of wood ducks (or is it a lumberyard, Dale suggests) and ring-neck ducks enjoying the seclusion and habitat our cove and breakwater offers. 

This is so picturesque! 

Treasure Revealed

The close up pic from yesterday is a beautiful fringed rosette lichen (Physcia stellaris) - magnificent! The intricate beauty and varied surface is stunning.

It's a common species found in North America, usually on bark or rocks. Those dark discs are its fruiting bodies that produce spores. Now, even more amazing, is that this particular little piece of perfection that I found is less than an inch across. Here it is next to my thumbnail for reference: 

Lichens are composites of fungi and algae (or bacteria) - they combine their individual capabilities to function as one. The book Ways of Enlichenment invites us to view lichens in an open-minded way - as fungal greenhouses, algal farmsteads, ecosystems, organisms or as emergent property.

 I hope you are happy to have been enlichened.

Treasure

I found this treasure lying on our driveway, and I was enthralled:

Of course, I've shown a detailed close-up to throw you off the trail, but in my mind it still looks pretty obvious ... probably way too easy! Answer tomorrow ...

Dimples

I love the look of these dimples (or blotches) in the changing ice - it's the imperfections that make it interesting.

Some look crusty, like scabs

or scars